Lotte Biologics, AbTis collaborate on the development of next-generation ADCs

Contract development and manufacturing organization Lotte Biologics and biotechnology company AbTis have signed a memorandum of understanding to collaborate on the development of next-generation antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) technology.

Under the agreement, the companies plan to jointly promote their services by combining AbTis’ AbClick linker technology, a third-generation platform, with Lotte’s conjugation manufacturing capabilities at its Syracuse Bio Campus in New York. As part of the partnership, a feasibility assessment of the AbClick platform is planned at Lotte’s Syracuse facility, with an eye toward potential integration into the ADC manufacturing workflow.

The collaboration with AbTis also seeks to expand the scope of Lotte’s ADC toolbox service, which allows customers to select a range of conjugation technologies. 

Last month, Lotte Biologics announced a collaboration with Axcelead Drug Discovery Partners and Kanaph Therapeutics to co-develop an ADC toolbox platform. The agreement aims to advance next-generation ADCs by combining each company’s specialized capabilities in payload, linker, and conjugation technologies.

Axcelead will contribute its drug discovery platform and extensive compound library of over 1.2 million compounds to identify novel payload candidates for ADC development. Kanaph will focus on addressing current limitations in linker and payload design by developing an innovative technology platform. The technologies generated through the collaboration will be transferred to Lotte, which will incorporate them into its existing ADC platform.

The resulting ADC toolbox will allow drug developers to select from a range of linker, payload, and conjugation technologies. Lotte plans to offer it as part of a one-stop ADC development and manufacturing service.

In April, Lotte started full-scale operations at its new ADC manufacturing facility in Syracuse, following the signing of a production agreement with an Asia-based biotech company. The deal covers a clinical-stage ADC candidate and represents the facility’s first commercial order.